Zenith CH601 N619LD

Summary

On 12 August 2016 at about 17:00 local time, a Zenith CH601 registered N619LD was involved in an accident near Ocean Shores, Washington, United States. One person was on board and one had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

12 August 2016 at 17:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Ocean Shores, Washington, United States

Coordinates

46.9922, -124.1403

Aircraft

Zenith CH601

Registration

N619LD

Category

Airplane

Year built

2016

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Hoquiam → Hoquiam

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR16LA164

1 person had minor injuries.

A reduction in electrical power, which disabled both fuel pumps and resulted in fuel starvation and a loss of engine power.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The private pilot was conducting a local personal flight in an experimental, amateur-built airplane. The pilot reported that, during cruise flight, the voltmeter's indications became erratic and that, shortly after, the airplane experienced a total loss of electrical power. The engine subsequently lost power, and the pilot conducted an emergency landing, during which the bottom of the fuselage contacted surrounding vegetation. The right wing then dipped, and the airplane impacted terrain. The pilot reported that, following the accident, he checked the battery's charge, and it was 11 volts; however, the electrical system on the airplane required 12 to 13 volts for operation. The pilot partially disassembled the airplane following the accident, and the engine, most of the flight instruments, the tachometer, and the interior components were not available for examination. Therefore, a thorough evaluation of the airplane's electrical system was not possible. However, the battery examination revealed that it had a 10-volt charge, indicating that either a battery or charging system failure occurred. The fuel delivery system included two electronic fuel pumps connected in series with no mechanical or auxiliary pumps installed. Therefore, the loss of electrical power would have disabled both fuel pumps and resulted in fuel starvation and a loss of engine power. There was no other method to deliver fuel to the engine if the battery power was insufficient to power the fuel pumps.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.